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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · prune · stand · spring · firm · bank · fan · wind

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. object — a thing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. object — an aim
  11. firm — a company
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — the season
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — of a river
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com